The Lord Jesus Christ is obviously calling believers today, to a life of moderation and watchfulness. He also, warns them against returning to worldly excesses that hinder spiritual growth, stability and fruitfulness. Without moderation in social events, the professing believer will hardly maintain regular time of communion with the Lord and fellowship with His people. The believer must concentrate on the Lord and imbibe the virtue of contentment to be free from covetous tendencies that damn the soul.
He must refrain from idolising physical exercise or effeminate sportsmen; “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” Let us make our moderation known to our family, neighbours, friends and colleagues with the consciousness of Christ’s imminent return. Moderation will necessarily lead us to seek peace with those around us.
The peace of God preserves the minds and souls that are focused on Him. There is no peace in the world and the concerns of many people in the world today are not spiritual. The actions and words of people around will tend to engage our minds and distract us from the things of God. To enjoy uninterrupted peace of God, the Scripture prescribes what we should think about: “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”.
All Christ’s teachings are true and worth meditating on. What humans do, say or think about us can be disturbing but concentrating on the words of Christ will shield our minds from being troubled. So, believers should not listen or discuss any subject that is not true, honest and just, even if that means losing friends who dislike the truth. What the believer reads must be things that encourage and sustain holiness or purity and make him ready for heaven.
The point is, God wants the believer to be firm and principled on hearing or discussing only the aforementioned things. He requires that the believer should reject those things that are contrary so they will not influence his thought life. Unbelief, bad example and people’s background may affect the way they live but when they are saved, they must resolve to meditate on things that bring good report.
The fruitfulness and effectiveness of spiritual leaders depend on what they meditate on, as meditation determines manifestation. These are part of the core principles that the Apostle was conveying primarily to the Philippians church, and to us today.
In the epistle, Paul the apostle reveals principles of victory, stability, steadfastness and God-glorifying lifestyle. “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” The truths the believer has “learnt” about salvation, Christ our only Saviour, holiness, Holy Ghost baptism, marriage of one man to one woman and Christ’s Second Coming must be firmly upheld. He must desist from adding to, subtracting from or mutilating wholesome teachings of the Word he has “received”, but practice them.
These include all the teachings of the entire Scripture. He is expected to emulate the godly lifestyle of saints based on the principles of Scripture he has “seen”. Paul lived that exemplary lifestyle that should serve as our motivation to do the same as pilgrims to heaven. It is as we live in obedience to the Word that we become spiritually stable and God abides with us everywhere we go until we enter heaven.
Further Reading (King James Version): Philippians 4:4-9; 1:14; Genesis 15:6; Isaiah 45:17,24,25; 2 Kings 18:5; Psalm 31:24; 37:4,7; 1 Samuel 30:6; Psalm 112:7; Habakkuk 3:17,18; Acts 14:3; Ephesians 6:10; Romans 16:12; 1Thessalonians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 4:17; Philippians 4:2; Revelation 14:13; Philippians 4:4,5; Luke 10:20; Ecclesiastes 12:12; Luke 21:34-36; 1 Peter 4:3,4; Mark 4:18,19; Hebrews 13:5,6; 1 Timothy 4:8; Philippians 4:7,8; Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 22:16; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 John 3:1-3; 4:8; Hebrews 11:2; 2 Peter 1:3-8; Romans 2:29; 1 Timothy 4:15,16; Philippians 4:9; Romans 16:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:13,14; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Philippians 3:13-17.
